Identificação e caracterização de proteinas que se associam in vitro a fita telomerica rica em G de Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis / Identification and characterization of proteins that associate in vitro with the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis G-rich telomeric strand

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2004

RESUMO

The chromosomal ends of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis contain conserved 5 - TTAGGG-3 telomeric repeats, that are maintained by telomerase. Using Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) we detected telomerase activity in protein fractions purified from S100 and nuclear extracts. Protein complexes that associate in vitro with telomeric DNA sequences, LaGT1-3 (Leishmania amazonensis G-strand telomeric protein), were identified and characterized by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and UV cross-linking using protein fractions purified from S100 and nuclear extracts. The three complexes did not form i) with double strand DNA (dsDNA) and the C-rich telomeric strand, ii) in competition assays using specific telomeric DNA oligonucleotides, or iii) after pre-treatment with proteinase K. LaGT1 was the most specific, it is formed with all DNA telomeric sequences (Tel1-6, Tel30 and Tel36) and did not bind a Tetrahymena telomeric sequence. All three LaGTs associated with an RNA sequence cognate to the telomeric G-rich strand and a complex similar to LaGT1 is formed with a dsDNA bearing a 3 G-overhang tail. The dissociation constants (Kd) for LaGT1 complexed with telomeric DNA sequence, and for LaGT2-3 complexed with telomeric DNA and RNA sequences were in the nM range. The protein components of LaGT2 and LaGT3 were purified by affinity chromatography and identified, after renaturation, as ~35 kDa and ~52 kDa bands, respectively. The <15 kDa protein component of LaGT1 was gel-purified as a UV crosslinked complex of ~18-20 kDa. LaGT2 and LaGT3 protein bands and the irradiated LaGT1 complex were digested by trypsin and the resulting peptides were analysed by mass espectrometry techniques: Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) and by Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS). The fingerprint analysis showed that the ~35 kDa protein component of LaGT2 was homologous to the Leishmania spp. Rbp38 protein, whereas the ~52 kDa component of LaGT3 was similar to the putative subunit 1 of replication protein A of Leishmania spp. and the <15 kDa protein component of LaGT1 was probably a novel Leishmania protein. The gene encoding the protein-forming complexe LaGT3 (LaRpa-1) were cloning and parcially caracterized, the genomic organization analysis of LaRPA-1 gene showed that it is present probably in low copy number or a single copy and was mapped on a chromosome of ~0,8 Mb. The partial conformational analysis of the interaction between nativeLaRpa-1 and the telomeric G-rich DNA (Tel6) was performed using fluorescence spectroscopy, this analysis showed an increase of the fluorescence when the interaction occurs

ASSUNTO(S)

leishmania amazonensis chromatin telomeros telomeres cromatina

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